


Not so sweet freedom

by LozB4



Series: Lock and Key [2]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani Needs a Hug, Kidnapped Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Kidnapping, M/M, Protective Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Protective Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26596681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LozB4/pseuds/LozB4
Summary: After a couple of months of recuperation following their extended torture, Nicky and Joe return to the other immortals, only to discover Booker's betrayal and Andy's mortality within seconds of walking through the door.Thankfully they have each other for comfort... until an old 'friend' catches up with Nicky.This is part of a series but could be read as a stand alone under the premise that Nicky and Joe were not instantly rescued from Merrick's lab and therefore didn't find out about Booker's betrayal or Andy's immortality.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: Lock and Key [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934806
Comments: 15
Kudos: 239





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wouldn't it be nice if I gave Nicky and Joe a break. Shame I didn't though, enjoy the angst.

Andy keeps telling Nile, 'Its not normally like this.'

And Nile is not entirely convinced.

The only true part of it is that Nile is sure that 6000 year old immortal warriors don't usually just lose their immortality overnight.

But with Andy as mortal as the other 7 billion people on the planet, there are 5 immortals left.

One is at the bottom of the ocean in an iron coffin, two are trapped somewhere in the world being tested or tortured, one is an alcoholic who says he's helping but really isn't doing anything to get the other two back, and one is just as confused as hell.

Not even the Marines prepared Nile to travel across the world at a moment's notice just to discover they were chasing shadows.

Its been 4 months since they took Nicky and Joe, and Andy gets angrier every day. In fact a typical day that Nile wakes up to is Andy drilling into Booker about not doing enough.

"I don't understand Book! This is what you do- Copley found us now you find him."

Nile just passes them and pours herself a cup of coffee from the already made pot, she wishes she could have some free time, maybe even go for a run or shop for nicer clothes but she also knows she could never enjoy herself whilst they had missing immortals. Nile can't even call them friends, she only knew them for a day, but Joe was welcoming and funny and Nicky was just so kind.

With a sigh Nile opens her laptop, scanning over the news articles first just out of an old mortal habit and briefly something catches her eye.

'Pharmaceutical CEO Steven Merrick found dead after 3 floor fall from window, following gunshot altercation with two men.'

Merrick was the supplier of a lot of army medical equipment which is what catches Nile's attention, what holds it is that the article details that two men also went out the same window but their bodies were not found on the street below.

"Andy look at this." Andy instantly leans over and scans down the page.

"Jumping out windows that sounds like those idiots. It would make sense, Merrick is always developing new drugs and we're- they're the perfect lab mice." If Booker blanches at the mention of Merrick, Nile doesn't give it much thought because Andy is already moving. "We're going to London, now."

"Boss wait, this all happened on Tuesday, its only coming out now. Nicky and Joe will be long gone from London. They're probably on their way to us now, I've been leaving clues for them."

"Its been 3 days, why aren't they here then. Book check all their shared files with you, Joe likes to use those to write clues."

It takes about 30 minutes but finally Booker sits back and pushes his laptop to Andy, "Its in Joe's code. There's a mistake in it but I think he meant, ' _We escaped, going off grid, back in a few months._ '"

"Why aren't they coming back now. We need to tie off this Merrick, Copley business for good."

"Boss they've been locked up and tortured for 4 months. Neither of them is going to be in a good headspace and you know Joe as well as me, if Nicky is even slightly off Joe will take him away into the abyss to cuddle him for a few years or whatever they do."

"And I'd love to give them that time but we need to finish this. Then they can have their 'few years' or all eternity for all I care. I meant it before Book. I'm finished. Even more so now."

"Ok so where would they go?"

"Malta would be my first answer but they'd also know that. I don't know, they have safe houses that even we don't know about and if they're angry at me like I think they are, they'll be in one of those."

"Why would they be angry at you?" Nile asks,

"The longest any of us have ever gone without rescue, aside from Quyhn, is 3 days. They don't know how hard it was to trace them. For all they know I abandoned them."

"Its not your fault Andy. They'll know that."

"Maybe, but if I'd been tortured for months, my first priority wouldn't be forgiveness."

Every day after that Nile can see how much it breaks Andy that Nicky and Joe never appear through the safe house door. She swears Andy looks older in the time of those two months until the door does swing open and Nicky steps in first, Joe following behind with a gentle hand to his boyfriend's back, Nile doesn't even know what they refer to themselves as, boyfriends doesn't sound right for a love that has lasted a millennia.

As soon as those familiar faces enter Andy leaps up from her seat and Nile finally sees a lightness in her eyes again that disappeared under the grief of losing her little brothers. There is hesitation between all of them as Andy stops a few inches from Nicky and then waits for him to move which he finally does, pulling her into such a gentle hug that Nile is halfway convinced he already knows she is mortal. When Nicky pulls away Joe seems to hesitate a lot more than Nicky did before giving Andy a one armed hug and then following Nicky who has moved further into the room.

"Hello Nile." Nicky greets easily, nothing about his quiet demeanour has changed since she last saw him but there is a tension carried in his back until Joe is so close to him again that Nicky's shoulder rests against Joe's chest.

"Are you two ok?" Andy asks, pulling out a seat and then gesturing for them to sit. For a second, given how close they are standing, Nile expects one to sit on the other's lap but instead Joe sits and Nicky just squeezes his shoulder then turns his back to the group and begins to fill the kettle.

Finally Joe answers with a heavy sigh, "We're ok."

"Where did you go?"

"We needed some time to-" Joe pauses and drags his gaze over Nicky's back. "Heal."

"What happened?"

"Little freak named Merrick let his crazy doctor experiment on his. When she got bored of us we were locked up in his basement, separately for a bit."

For a second Nile wonders why he added that detail but it instantly explains their closeness and the reason that Joe can barely seem to look away from Nicky.

"Where's Booker?" Nicky asks suddenly from where he is putting tea bags into mugs.

"In his room. Probably drinking." Andy answers and finally Joe smiles,

"Nice to see some things never change."

Nile can see Andy fiddling with the plaster on her finger under the table, telling Nicky and Joe about her mortality is something she has to do yet she must be able to see that neither is acting entirely normally.

"I'm sorry." Andy suddenly blurts out with none of her usual grace, Nicky turns to look at her and Joe stops looking at Nicky to look at Andy.

"Don't Andy." Nicky says softly, placing a mug of perfectly made tea in front of her first then Nile before passing Joe a mug and taking the last for himself.

"I need you to know I spent every second searching for you, we travelled halfway across the world and back to find you- I don't understand how Copley could find us so easily but we couldn't find anything on him."

"We know you would have found us if you could. Forgive us too, we never meant to leave you to feel like this. We just needed time."

Joe takes a gulp of tea then smiles up at Nicky before saying something in Italian which Nile is yet to learn. He gestures to the laptop on the table, "I sent you some clues that we were coming back but I'll delete them now, can I use it?"

"Yeah think that one is Booker's."

Joe is quiet for a few minutes as he taps his fingers across the keys with a look of concentration. Nicky is still standing behind him so he is watching with a half interest over Joe's shoulder until his eyes go wide and he steps back from the laptop like it just became a monster with fangs. Joe has a reaction too but its different from Nicky's, in his hand the handle of the mug shatters around his fist, sending the rest of his tea to the floor.

"Joe what is it?" Andy asks, looking between Nicky and Joe, neither of who answer so Nile tugs the laptop in front of herself and is met with an email thread from none other than Copley. The first email is just a location... The Goussainville safe house to be exact. The next is another email from Booker,

_Copley,_

_I've changed my mind, I can't do that to Andy, I should have never let it happen to Nicky and Joe. Will Merrick let our places be exchanged._

Nile keeps reading, finding Copley's reply,

_Booker,_

_Merrick wants all of you, especially Andy, if you show up he'll keep you and Nicky and Joe, all I can recommend is that you keep Andy as far from him as you can, lead her on a wild goose chase and keep doing that until Merrick gets bored of them. For my part I'll try to convince him to let them go when they've had their use._

Silently Nile pushes the laptop to Andy who reads with a clenched jaw, Nile is sure that if she was still immortal she would of had a similar reaction to Joe. Joe himself is still seated but only by Nicky's will, Nicky who is whispering into his ear in a language that doesn't even sound like the Italian they usually speak. Nicky's hands brush over Joe's clenched hands, his words sound like desperate reasoning to calm a beast. A beast that is about to tear Booker apart.

"He sold us out." Joe grits out, "He sold us out Nicky!"

"I know but we don't know why- he-"

"No words, no excuse, no _friendship_ will ever excuse the fact that I watched you die a thousand horrible deaths. Nothing will ever excuse seeing the light leave your eyes."

Through all the anger and the pain, Nile can't help but smile a little because its just like Andy said, Joe is so heart sickeningly poetic when it comes to Nicky.

Joe stands with a screech of the chair legs against the stone floor and Nicky stumbles a little because seemingly unbeknownst to Joe he was leaning on the chair. Yet even in his fury the man stops to make sure Nicky doesn't fall before he keeps moving towards Booker's room.

"Joe! Wait-" They all follow Joe with such haste that all 4 of them crash into Booker's room in a mess of limbs, startling the man who was peacefully sleeping to this point.

"Joe, Nicky! You're back."

"Oh you bet we're back asshole." Joe snarls out, escaping Nicky's loose grasp to pounce on Booker in an array of angry punches and curses directed at the Frenchman in every language under the sun.

Despite all his previous argument, Nicky just stops and watches as Joe breaks Booker's nose several times over until Nile asks, "Shouldn't you stop him?"

"Joe is like... A storm. Sometimes you just have to let him get the rain out his system. Besides... I don't particularly want to."

For at least 2 more minutes they just leave Joe to his rage before Andy sighs.

"Nicky, do you want to stop him?" For a second Nicky looks perplexed at why Andy isn't stopping Joe herself but he just brushes past it as he gets up and wraps one hand around each of Joe's biceps and holds on.

"Joe, enough- enough- its over now." Joe continues to struggle and in a surge to get to Booker again there is a crack and Nicky pulls away with a hand holding his dislocated shoulder.

Of course it takes barely a few seconds to heal but Nicky's single pained gasp made Joe freeze then pull himself away.

"Nicolo- nicolo. Mi dispiace. Mi dispiace." Nicky just waves him off, rolling his previously injured shoulder then stroking Joe's cheek.

She knows they have a strong relationship but she can barely believe that Nicky just waved off a dislocated shoulder by his boyfriend's hands. "Seriously? He dislocated your shoulder-"

"We killed each other many times believe me a dislocated shoulder is not very much in the grand scheme of things."

Nile narrows her eyes and thinks back at the way Nicky positioned his body, not a very smart way and not a way befitting a 900 year old warrior. "You meant for him to do it didn't you."

"It cuts out a lot of time. Now Booker- care to explain why we spent 4 months trapped in a concrete basement whilst Andy looked everywhere but there for us, or shall I let Joe back at you?"

"Joe- Nicky I'm sorry-"

"Don't look at him." Joe snaps at Booker who had previously looked up at Nicky with those sad eyes, "Don't you dare look at him until you know every single detail of what he suffered and know that every single part of pain that he felt was your fault."

Nicky begins to open his mouth to protest but just sighs and mumbles something in another one of his languages that makes Andy smirk.

"Explain Booker." He says again, a hand brushing through Joe's curls and tilting Joe's head to look at him as he smiles and mouths something hidden to the rest.

"I thought if Merrick could find how the immortality worked he could find a way to end it- Andy and I could have been free of it but Andy-" Andy catches his gaze and shakes her head which thankfully both Nicky and Joe miss because they are looking at Booker.

"You're a selfish piece of shit you know that Booker?" Joe snarls and Nile wants to laugh at how quickly Nicky reacts to his anger by holding onto his arm.

"What would you know about the weight of all those years alone. You and Nicky always had each other."

"So we deserve to be tortured for it?"

"No- no he wanted all of us- well us four, he never knew about Nile. Nothing went to plan and he got you two instead. There was another plan to lead Andy and myself into it but I couldn't- not after I realised my mistakes."

"You were our brother- you were our brother and you left us." Nicky says softly, "Why didn't you- you could have saved us. There's 3 of you, and one of you is Andy- you could have lead her to us instead you sent her in the wrong direction. Do you hate us for having each other?"

"No- no of course I don't- you're just Nicky and Joe, sure sometimes I was jealous but I never hated you for having that love. But I couldn't lead Andy to you. Not after-" He cuts himself off but this time they both notice.

"After what?"

"Booker don't- they've had enough for today- they've had enough for about a century in fact."

"What aren't you telling us? Andy please we were a family once- no more secrets."

"My immortality is gone."

The silence of the room is piercing as Nicky's hand drops from Joe's arm and he just stares at Andy, taking in the dark circles under her eyes, the plaster on her finger.

Given his reaction to everything else, Nile expects Joe to be the one to walk out, yet it is Nicky who turns on his heal and leaves the room. Joe looks dazed as his eyes flit from where he was staring at Andy's plaster to Nicky's exit then he gives Booker one last glare before sprinting out. "Nico!"

"Well that didn't go very well." Booker mumbles and both Nile and Andy turn to glare at him. Whilst Joe and Nicky had been in the room, their anger had felt secondary but Nile can see the rage in Andy's eyes.

"Get out."

"Boss come on- I didn't mean for them to get hurt but mortality is what we both needed."

"Not like this Book. Not like this. You should have told me- I would have gone for them it wouldn't have made a single difference. They're family. They were your family too."

"Will I ever see you again?"

Andy doesn't answer, just turning her face away and Booker sighs, slipping out the room with his head hung in defeat.

"Should we check on Nicky and Joe?" Nile asks the woman who seems a 100 years older from the last few minutes.

"No- they'll be back when they're ready. Joe will need to cuddle Nicky for a bit."

\---

Joe and Nicky have only been to Madrid a few times so Nicky has no clue where he is going, fortunately he also knows that Joe is only a few paces behind which proves true when he finally stops, seemingly in a park and Joe's arms wrap around his waist. Or at least he thinks they are Joe's arms...

\---

Nile is preparing fresh cups of tea to replace the cold ones left on the table, and the floor, when Joe reappears. "Did Nicky come back?"

"No why?"

"He crossed a road and before I could follow a bus came and blocked me off- when I got across I couldn't see him and I must have turned the wrong way."

"He'll be fine, once he figures out you lost him he'll probably come back to demand hugs." Andy says with a small smile and Joe returns it.

"I'm sorry about your immortality? I know its what you wanted but... It still must be rough."

"Yeah its... I'll get used to it- and I flatter myself but I feel worse for you guys." Joe nods sadly,

"I'll miss you. I know Nic and I are 900 years old but there are times where I still feel lost without you around."

"I'm not gone yet."

Nile slips out the room as Joe leans down to hug Andy, his head resting on her shoulder, it seems to personal for a newcomer to witness.

She only returns at least an hour later when Joe says loud enough for her to hear.

"Seriously where is Nicky?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicky wakes up and meets a few old friends, meanwhile Joe paces a hole in the carpet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *laughs in evil*

Nicky wakes with an unfortunately familiar taste in his mouth. His own blood.

He can barely feel his hands and after a few moments of calculation he realises that's because he's lying on them where they are tied behind his back.

With a groan he rolls onto his stomach and then looks around, trying to fathom why he's in yet another cell. The last he remembers were arms going around his waist and then... A needle in his neck? That doesn't explain the taste of blood in his mouth.

"Yusef?" He croaks out, spitting out a bullet that was seemingly lodged between his teeth and cheek. That explains the blood.

He doesn't remember Joe being near him when they took him, but Joe was right behind him when he left the safe house, surely he'd be around. Then again nobody would be able to just pluck Nicky off the street if Joe was around.

"Oh good- you're finally awake. I was getting worried." Nicky tilts his chin up against the floor to look up at the man who has just entered the room, his hair is greying but Nicky somehow remember those piercing blue eyes.

"What did you give me?"

"Oh just a gift from a new friend I made. Then a bullet."

"Who are you?"

"I'm hurt you don't remember. Are the wrinkles that bad?" Nicky just mumbles a few old curses into the ground.

"I'm 900 years old. I don't remember what I had for breakfast."

"How about the man whose life you destroyed?"

"Typically I find those men destroyed their own lives." A bullet slams into the centre of Nicky's back and he groans. "Really?"

"Do you remember Alicante 1983?"

"Mmm Joe and I had sex on a particularly excellent beach-" Another bullet hits his back, "Ow- We had sex in the hotel too if you don't like exhibitionism."

Nicky wakes after being shot in the back of the head a few minutes later. "Let me guess you're a homophobe."

"I spent 30 years rotting in jail and you remember the sex you had with your boyfriend."

"It was excellent." Something whips across his back and Nicky hisses, "Now you're getting inventive- you should consult Joe on your technique though, he's really got it good in the last century- ow. Could you stop?"

"Can you stop talking about your filthy sex life."

"Fine. Who are you?"

"I know you remember."

"Fine. I stopped your bomb building business intent on destroying half the world. What a horrible, horrible man I am. How did you only get 30 years?"

"I have friends."

"How nice for you." Nicky rolls onto his side away from him and sighs sleepily. "Wake me up when Joe comes."

A hand fists into Nicky's hair and he finds himself face to face with those piercing blue eyes. "Oh no I have more exciting plans for you."

\---

Joe paces up and down the small hallway of the safe house whilst Andy watches. "Joe you're going to make a hole in the carpet." Joe only pauses to glare at her before he keeps moving, glancing through to the kitchen where Booker sits at his laptop zipping through the security footage of the city. It took a bite to his pride to beg the man who they exiled 2 hours before to come back but if it gets Nicky in his arms again any faster he doesn't care.

"I've got it." Booker shouts through and Joe shoots down the hall to the kitchen, only slowing to pass Andy. "Where?"

Booker points at the blurry footage of a security camera. "There's Nicky, doesn't seem to notice he's being followed, guy comes up behind him, needle in the neck and then he's in the van. I'm trying to find a closer image of the number plate."

"He thought it was me." Joe mumbles and Nile arches an eyebrow at him. "Look, he's relaxed, the guy knew enough to put his arms around his waist like I would. The only reason Nic didn't fight was because he thought it was me."

"And that's your fault how?"

"It should have been me."

"Look unless you've figured how to materialise through busses, its not your fault. Nobody was expecting Nicky to get kidnapped in broad daylight. At least you're not with him, you're one extra person to help find him and you know the most."

"Not being with Nicky never helps me."

Nile can only smile as a comfort to Joe.

"How did they find him?" Nile asks, "I mean- like Joe said they knew enough about him to put their arms around his waist like Joe would. That can't be random kidnapping."

Booker visibly gulps as Joe turns his gaze to him but he raises his arms in surrender. "Joe I swear, I swear to you I have nothing to do with this time." Joe just narrows his eyes slightly then looks away.

"What about my clues to you? I only deleted them this morning."

"Its possible. But you used code right?"

"Yeah. But I only put that we were coming to Madrid this morning. There's only a limited number of places they could have come from at short notice."

"Think Joe, all the times you've been to Spain- was there any time when you really pissed off someone? In the last 50 years or so?"

"Yeah. Obviously. Our trade is pissing off bad people. Though usually we kill them after."

Joe begins writing down a list of names until Booker says, "The van was rented from Alicante if that helps."

Joe freezes, going back up the list to circle one name, "Yeah, yeah it does."

\---

Nicky wakes up again to the feeling of the chains around his hands being moved. "What did you give me this time?"

"Another gift from my new friend. You really didn't like this one. Died twice before you got it out your system. I see why that Merrick was interested in you though. I've tested it on a few other old friends and well... They didn't get it out their system."

"You know about Merrick?"

"Indeed. My new friend told me all about him." Nicky follows his gaze to Kozak who sits in the corner, he almost didn't recognise her without the lab coat. With a thump Nicky rests his head back.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"And yet you had a gun pointed right at me and turned away. Did you ever tell your Joe that?"

"I tell Joe everything and he forgives me for it."

"I preferred you when you were broken and tired like an old china doll. You spoke back less at least."

"I preferred it when you were begging for your life." Nicky mumbles, closing his eyes then jerking his hands out of the henchman's grasp. "I suppose that won't take too long to rectify."

He makes it halfway across the room with a loaded pistol before another bullet slams through his head and he wakes strapped to what feels like a table. It feels stupid and weak because he knows exactly where he is but the first word out of his mouth when he wakes is, "Yusef?"

Testing his restraints he looks around, first at Kozak then his kidnapper, he thinks his name was Javier. "These were your exciting plans?"

"Will you please give him something to shut him up?" Javier hisses and Kozak dances her fingers over her array of syringes. Her fingers hover over one seemingly containing an icy blue liquid before she picks up that far too familiar orange one. "You certainly didn't like this one."

Then all Nicky feels are those waves of fire rolling down his spine.

\----

The team feels disjointed as they drive from Madrid to Alicante, it is disjointed. Nile is new, she doesn't know how to operate with a team that has existed for 200 years. Andy is mortal now, the stakes are far higher for her. Booker is an outcast even if he is with the team now. And Joe is without his other half.

Still, against the idiot they are going for, they stand a good chance.

Joe remembers Javier, it was a rare mission that only he and Nicky did, Andy and Booker had another one in the US.

Usually they'd have killed him and left but Nicky reasoned that they didn't know all the locations of the bombs and he did. So he lived and apparently kept that resentment.

It is nightfall by the time they reach the abandoned factory compound. Javier didn't even bother to get a new one. Sloppy criminals.

Since they are down a sniper, Joe fills in and takes out the seven guards practically silently. "The main building seems to be in the centre. That's where they have the most guards. I say we try there."

The team doesn't move as smoothly as they did in Sudan but the pace isn't compromised. At Andy's closed fist signal they all stop just outside one of the large doors and listen, they can hear a man talking, Javier, Joe's brain supplies and the occasional reply of a woman. And Joe knows that voice too well.

"That's the doctor who tortured us in Merrick's labs- they must have united as a 'We hate Joe and Nicky' club." 

He keeps listening but the only other sounds are that of the guard's feet shuffling around. "Lets go- if they're both in there, Nicky is too."

"Joe wait just listen." Andy mutters, "They're talking about him."

"And you're sure it'll work?" Javier asks,

"I'm not... Positive. It certainly slows his healing and with an extensive amount of injuries after, it should prevent his recovery."

"Would you say being strapped to a bomb when it implodes would be enough."

"More than." There is something sinister to that woman's voice, enjoyment at the fact they are plotting to murder Nicky once and for all. Horrifically if Joe may add.

"Well then we'll just have to wait until his precious boyfriend gets here so he can enjoy the show. That should be enough punishment for him I'd say."

Without any more hesitation Joe slips through the crack in the door, raising his gun with a steady hand towards Javier. "I'm already here."

From his place strapped physically to a large, too large, bomb, Nicky lifts his head and shouts something from behind the gag.

"Nicolo. Andrà tutto bene." _It'll be alright_. Joe hopes he can keep that promise.

With no remorse or feeling Joe shoots Kozak right between the eyes as he makes his way over to Nicky whilst Booker and Nile force Javier onto his knees. "What did he do to you my love." Joe says softy, crouching to release Nicky's hands which are tied up tightly enough to cut off the circulation.

"You're not very good at knot tying." Joe comments as he begins to unknot the first loop of rope, without a knife this could be a long night. "I could give you a few hints but I'm not going to encourage you. Nobody ties my Nicky up- except me-" At Nicky's mumble through the gag, Joe stops speaking but flashes his love a quick grin and quickens his pace.

As Nicky continues mumbling and wriggling Joe says, "Andy could you get that thing out his mouth."

As soon as the old tie is free of Nicky's mouth he gasps out, "He's playing for time- he's already started the bomb. Yusef I think I can die."

For a second the world spins around Joe before he comes back to earth swearing. "Fuck- Andy get out of here. Booker help me free Nicky, Nile you take that low life scum with you."

Joe's desperation doesn't help the panicked release of Nicky's hands. "Booker find a knife- anything."

"There's nothing here Joe- we could shoot the ropes?"

"I'm not risking setting off the bomb early. Besides if Nicky heals slow we can't risk shooting him and letting him bleed out. Just hold on ok Nico, I'm going to get you out of here." Telling Nicky to hold on is illogical, he's silently begging the inanimate bomb to hold on until he can free Nicky.

Nicky seems to know it is coming before Joe does and instead of begging or pleading for his life he spends the last seconds of his thousand years comforting Joe. "Yusef it'll be alright. I love you. I love you so much. You're everything."

"Nico-"

Joe is certain he dies a few times in the sequence of events following the bomb going off but nothing stops his heart more than crawling his own battered and bloodied body to Nicky's unmoving one. He must have been flung by the blast like Booker and Joe were but the damage is much, much worse on him.

And it isn't healing.

Joe cradles what he can of Nicky's body, rocking them back and forth and shielding his love from the world.

"Nico please. Nico wake up. Nicolo destati. Destati."

And he doesn't.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally get to Malta

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that I stopped killing Nicky, enjoy the fluff

Andy was thankfully far enough from the blast that she could just feel the heat, but she's not thankful that over half her team are still in that building.

And one of them can die, just like her.

Andy and Nile are halfway back to the rubble of the building, clambering their way over the wreckage when they hear Joe's screams. Long howls like a man being tortured. More accurately a man with his heart ripped from his chest.

Booker is standing a few meters from Joe's hunched over form when they finally reach them. The Frenchman has his head ducked with grief and after a quick pat on the arm Andy keeps moving to stand by Joe.

Even with his body marred, Nicky looks peaceful in Joe's arms. She supposes that if Nicky could chose where to die it would always be in Joe's arms.

"Joe."

With another sob Joe moves his hand to cradle the top of Nicky's head. "We were meant to have more time. I promised to take him back to Malta."

"Maybe you could bur-"

"Don't- please don't." Joe hunches over more, his back shaking with grief. "He didn't want to come back yet. He wanted to stay in New Zealand for a year. Oh god Andy I killed him."

"You didn't kill Nicky Joe."

Joe doesn't reply, his head resting against Nicky and Andy sighs looking around and then lifting her gun and taking guard around the grieving man and his love, a position Nile assumes as well and there they stand until the dawn light flits in over the sea.

Even before losing her immortality Andy always suspected that she'd be the one to die first. To lose Nicky. Sweet, kind, gentle Nicky is world shifting. And its even worse to see Joe left behind. In the privacy of a quiet midnight chat in 1756 Joe had guiltily confessed that if they couldn't die at the same time, he hoped that he would die first so he wouldn't have to bare the pain of losing Nicky.

It has 4 months since Andy last saw Nicky properly, saw the joy on his face and heard it in his laugh when they betted over baklava. Now she tries to recall that laugh, that smile that was always just slightly directed to Joe.

"Nicolo?"

All of their heads snap up towards Joe who is cupping Nicky's face, "Nicolo?" There is more excitement in his voice as he speaks again and Andy rushes to kneel by them. Whilst Nicky's body is still as battered as it was before, the reason to Joe's excitement lies in the fact that slowly and subtly Nicky's chest rises and falls.

\---

Nicky can hear waves crashing against the shore when he wakes up. He is surrounded by the scent of Joe and the familiar smell that he only recognises from their Maltese villa. Home.

Perhaps this is what heaven is like. He thinks blearily. Slowly the cogs clunk back into life within his head and he registers a soft breeze from an open window and a warm arm around his waist, easy breaths against the back of his neck.

"Yusef?" He mumbles and finally he gets the reply he wants.

"Sono qui."

Joe seemed to have answered that on instinct because he suddenly shoots up in their bed and leaps up to straddle Nicky's legs. "Nico- Nico-"

There are tears between their kisses and Joe's hands never leave him, his fingers worshipping each piece of unharmed skin on his love.

Eventually Joe forces himself to pull back but Nicky keeps his hands on Joe's waist, gazing up at the man who leans over him. Joe rubs his finger over Nicky's beauty mark fondly then smiles. "You're alive."

"I never did think Kozak was a good doctor." Joe chuckles through the tears that still pour down his face.

With a slight wince of pain Nicky lifts his head up far enough to see that there are still several cuts across his body and patches of skin that feel tender. "Joe I-"

"You're still immortal don't worry. Kozak's drug is still wearing off. Quicker by the day though, this was twice the size yesterday." Joe soothes, gesturing to a cut over Nicky's ribs.

"How long?"

"A week. A fucking week Nicolo I thought I might die from the stress myself."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Just never leave me." Nicky pulls him down for another kiss like he can't get enough of that warm familiar taste of Joe.

Finally with a glance around to anything other than Joe, he takes in their bedroom, the soft cotton sheets that Joe bought years ago that are worn from all their years of use, the wind gently blowing the white curtains into the room and bringing the smell of fresh sea air, outside the trees they planted 300 years ago rustle in the wind and a sea bird calls high above them.

"You took me back to Malta."

"You deserve it."

Nicky's recovery is slow but it has no need to be fast. He spends his days in their garden, wrapped up (by Joe) in four blankets and sitting in the comfortable chair that Joe dragged outside for him. Joe of course sits nearby, usually opting for a picnic blanket that has enough space to spread his art materials out.

Whilst Joe occupies himself with etching the familiar lines of Nicky's face into paper or canvas, Nicky himself is quite content to sit with one arm extended from his blanket nest, just far enough to play with Joe's hair and run his fingers up and down the artist's neck.

Some times he reads an old book he's been meaning to get to for centuries, more often than not he just rests it on his lap and sleeps, basking in the warm sun and the sound of Joe humming.

Each evening he will wake up from that sleep somewhere in their villa, occasionally on the large squashy sofa in the kitchen whilst Joe potters around making a meal fit for a king, often he wakes up sprawled across Joe's chest on the living room sofa whilst Joe watches TV, the rest of the time in is either in their bed or still outside whilst Joe paints the sunset.

One such evening a month after Nicky first woke up he wakes whilst Joe is carrying him inside, an unnecessary task as Nicky is completely healed and was only sleeping because naps are a habit he's become fond of. Still he doesn't complain about being cuddled up in Joe's well muscled arms.

Joe takes them to the bath that night, a similar situation to New Zealand those short months ago, it simultaneously feels like no time has passed since then but also a century has passed and Nicky can't explain it.

He just focusses on the thought of Joe's arm wrapped over his chest and the kisses down his neck.

Given that they spend every day together, Nicky finds they have barely spoken of the events that went down in Alicante, which is why it surprises him when Joe mumbles against his skin.

"I'm sorry."

"For?"

"Everything- I'm sorry for breaking your shoulder, I'm sorry I wasn't there to save you, I'm sorry I was making jokes whilst you were strapped to a bomb about to die, I'm sorry I let you die, I'm sorry for making you come back to die."

Nicky lifts his head to stroke Joe's face that rests against his neck, water that isn't from the bath running down Nicky's skin.

"I let you break my shoulder. You did save me. I liked your jokes because they really annoyed Javier. I didn't die and you didn't kill me. I'm here Yusef, we both are. Sono qui. Forever if you'll have me."

"That's all I dream of."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I love writing these fics so if you have any ideas for more please leave me a comment :)


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